Clutch construction



Dec. 15 1925.

E. R. EVANS CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1922 ."5 Sheets-Sheet 2 B11 vento/z Ebwm .'RA EvANs Dec. 15, l925-V L 1,565,722 A E. R. EVANS q' i CLUTCH CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 2, 1922 .'5 Sheets-Sheet 3 2o operable than the usual type.

AParental Dec. 1.5, 1925..

:EDWIN n. Evans, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CLUTCI CONSTRUCTION.

application mea october 2,1922. seriai no. 591,945.

To all whom, t 'may concer/n.: Y

Be it known that I, lEDWIN R'. EVANS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county ofWayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Clutch Constructions, of whic the following is a s y t e accompanying drawings.

This iniention relates to clutches and par'- ticularly tor-"friction clutches designed for use in motor vehicles for connecting the source of power withthe transmission-mechanism. An object of the invention is t provide 16 an eflicient and reliable construction for obtainingV the desired friction with the use of lightersprings than ordinarily required.

Another object is to rovide a simple and effectivek construction wlhich is more readily With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel fea-v tures of construction, combination and arf rangement of-parts, as will be more fully de- I '25 scribed and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Y the accompanymg drawings:

Flgure 1 1s a longitudinal sectional view` on line 1--1 of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is'a sectional view taken on line 2--f2 of Figure 1 and`showing a portion of the casing;

Figure 3 is a detail. view of the spring seating side of a plate. through which presdriven elements of the c A Figure 4 isian'exterior view of, the cover plate for the driving ring. i

Figure 5 is a detail view of the sleeve-and p sure is applied to engagettlhe driving and l1 i A vl0 integral projections.l

Referring now to the `drawings in which like characters of reference designatel corresponding parts throughiut the several views, the numeral 1' designates a fly wheelA of a motor having-an axial opening 2 providing a bearing for the reduced end4 of a transmission shaft 3.

A driving ring 4 surrounds the transmis'- sion shaft and is provided with an outwardly extending'annular ilange 5 which is secured vto one 'side of the ily wheel. The ring 4 is also rovided with an. inwardly extendin annu ar flange 6 which is spaced n from t e fly wheel. The flange 6 serves as an' abutment lfor a driven plate 7 which has pecification, reference being had therein to a hub 8 splined upon a bushing 9 secured to the transmission shaft.

' An annular pressure plate 10 is adapted to move the driven plate against the annular flange 6 and is provided with a plurality of transversely extending peripheral slots 11 which have asliding engagement with the heads 12 of pins 13 secured to the inner wall ofthe ring 4- Friction bands 14 of any suitable material are located upon opposite sides of the driven plate and engage `the annular flange 6 and the pressure plate 10. A. plurality'of spaced lugs 15v extend outwardly from the opposite side of the pressure plate and are located adjacent to a plurality of spaced lugs lyeiitending in- -wardly from an annular cover plate 17 removably securedto the ring 4.

Levers 18 are fulcrumed upon the lugs 16 and are -pivotally secured at one end to the lugs 15. The levers are pivotally connected atthe opposite end to a plurality of spaced lugs 19 extending from a sleeve 20 -surrounding a collar 21 slidably mounted -on the transmission shaft 3. The sleeve 20 is movable with the collar 21 .and cooperates therewith to form a housing for .an antifriction bearin 22. The sleeve 2() is provided intermediate its` ends with a series of radially extending `rojections 23 which are provided at their e ges'with lateral. flanges `24 and which are disposed opposite a series of spaced sockets 25 formed in the pressure plate. 'Coils rings 26 engage the projections 23 andsoc ets 25 `andnormally hold the drivenplate 7 against the annular flange 6 .of the driving ring 4.

`Due tothe varrangement f 'the levers, the force ,v exerted by each spring against the pressure` late vis multiplied many times so that the dpesiredfriction may be obtained by the use of relatively light springs.

The shims 36 are insertablenbetween the inner edge of the ring 4 and the cover plate 17 and are retained in place by means of the screws 37. By adding the shims, the cover platev 17 and lugsl 16 upon which the levers are fulcrumed are adjusted outwardly so that the force of the springs multiplied by- A 105 surface 27 which is engaged by a. collar 28 having trunnons 29 plvotally mounted upon a pair of U-shaped arms 30 extending upward from a yoke 31. A pair of aligned stub shafts 32 are rigidly secured to the yoke 31 at the opposite ends thereof and are journalled in suitable bearings in a sectional casing 33 which surrounds the clutch mechanism and the Hy wheel. A suitable operat- K ing pedal 34 is rigidly secured to one of the stub shafts and is held in upright position by means of a coil spring 35.

In use, the springs 26 engaging the pressure plate 1() normally hold the driven plate 7l against the annular flange 6 of the driving ring 4. Upon operation of the pedal 34 to release the clutch, the yoke 31 is rocked which causes the collar 28 to move the collar 21 inwardly, The sleeve 20 is carried inwardly with the collar 21 and the levers 18 are rocked upon the lugs 16 so that the radially extending projections of 'the sleeve and the pressure plate are drawn together with the result that the springs 26 are compressed and the driven plate 7 is released from the driving ring 4. j

While it is believed that from the foregoing description, the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent, I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown and described and that Suchchanges may be resorted to when desired as'fall withinthe scope of what is claimed..y

What I claim as my invention 1s l. In a clutch, the combination with 4a driving member and a drivenmember, of a plurality of movable members, of spring means between said movable members for moving one of said movable members against said driven member to hold 'the latter against said driving member, and levers connecting said movable members and actuated by said spring means for multiplying the force exerted by the latter.

2. Inl a clutch, the combination with a driving member and a driven member,of a plurality of'movable members, a plurality of springs between said movable members normally pressing one of said movable members against said driven member and holding the latter against said driving member, and levers connecting said movable membersfor moving thesame together to compress said sprin s and release said driven member from said riving member.

l plurality of movable members, al plurality4 3. In a clutch, the combinatlon with a driving member and a driven member, of a of springs arranged between said movable members for pressing one'of said movable membersl against said driven member to 'hold the latter against said driving member,

and' means connecting said movable members movable in one direction to multi ly the force exerted by said springs and mova le in the opposite direction to draw said movable members together and compress said springs for releasing said driven member from said driving member.

4. In a clutch, the combination with a driving member and a driven member, of a plurality of movable members, a plurality of springs arranged between said movable members for pressing one of said movable members against said driven member to hold the latter against said driving member, and levers connecting said movable members, movable in one direction to multiply the force exerted by said springs and movable in the opposite direction to draw said movable members together and compress said springs for releasing said driven member from said driving member.

5. In a clutch, the combination with a fly wheel and a transmission shaft, of a driving ring secured to said fly wheel and having an annular abutment, a driven plate splined upon said shaft, a pressure plate adapted to move said driven plate against said abutment, a sleeve movable longitudinally of said shaft and having a plurality of projections, springs disposed between said projections andsaid pressure plate normally holding said driven plate against said abutment, and levers connecting said sleeve and said pressure plate movable in one direction to multiply the force exerted by said springs vprojections and said pressure. late normally olding said driven plate against said abutj ment, levers connecting said sleeve and said pressure plate, and-means for actuating said sleeve to compress said Vsprings and releasel said-driven plate from said abutment.

7 In a clutch, he combination with ally` wheel and a ,transmission shaft,.of a driving ring secured to'said fly wheeland having an annular abutment, a driven plate splined upon said shaft, a pressure plate adapted to move thedriven plate against said abutment,

a collar slidablyvmounted'l on said shaft, a sleeve surroundin therewith, anA ant1-friction bearing between said collar and said sleeve, said sleeve being provided with a lurality vof projections, springs disposed and said pressure plate normally holding said driven plate against said abutment, levers connecting said sleeve and said pres said collar and movable etween Said projections upon said cover plate and connecting said` sure plate, and means for actuatin said collar to releasesaid driven plate rom said abutment.

8. In a. clutch, the combination with a transmission shaft and a fly wheel, of a `driving ring secured to said fly wheel and having, an annular abutment, a driven plate splined upon said shaft, an annular pressure plate adapted to move the driven plate against said abutment, a sleeve movable longitudinally of said shaft and having a plurality of projections, springs disposed be` tween said projections' and said pressure plate normally holding said driven plate against said abutment, an annular cover plate secured to said ring, levers ulcrumed 10. In a clutch, the combination with adriving member and a driven member, of a 1 plurality of movable members, spring means arranged between said movable members forupressing 'one of said members against said drivenemember to hold the latter against said driving member, and levers connecting said movable members movable in one direction to multiply the force exerted by said spring means and movable in the op' posite direction to draw said movable members together and compress said spring means for releasing said driven member from said driving member.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

` EDWIN RJEVANS. 

